Fr. John Riccardo's Podcasts

Fr. John Riccardo introduces the new ACTS XXIX podcast, "You Were Born for This with Father John Riccardo."

Fr. Riccardo shares his final words for the parish in this final homily as the pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel Church. As he transitions to his new role as Executive Director of Acts XXIX, Fr. John offers words of praise, words of apology, words of thanks, and concludes with a final appeal to the parishioners of OLGC.

Fr. Riccardo addresses the eighth grade graduating class of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish School in this homily from the 2019 Graduation Mass telling the students that greatness in within the reach of each of them.

Fr. Riccardo preached at all of the masses at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church this past weekend. In this homily from the noon Mass, Fr. Riccardo reflects on the travels of St. Paul as described in the first reading for the Fifth Sunday of Easter (ACTS 14:21-27). Fr. John concludes by encouraging the young married couples and young families of the parish to take up the baton of leadership in the church and in this parish. Fr. John points out, "God is calling you to step up and to step forward and to use all the gifts that He has so generously entrusted to you for one purpose – so God can get his world back."

Fr. Prentice Tipton preached at all of the weekend masses at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church this past weekend. In this homily from the 5 PM Mass, Fr. Prentice looks at the conversation between Jesus and Peter by the charcoal fire in today's gospel (JN 21:1-19). Fr. Prentice asks the congregants whether we have given up on God's vision for our lives and settled for simply being Simon. Have we given up on being Peter?

Deacon Steve Mitchell preached at all of the weekend masses at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church for Feast of Divine Mercy. In this Divine Mercy Mass from Sunday at 3 PM, Deacon Steve tells the congregants that a life marked by the empty tomb is one spent looking up at the cross and not back at our past. Focusing on the right image, listening to the right words - the ones Jesus speaks over us versus what the devil says about us - shapes our lives.

The deceiver is deceived, his dominion is destroyed, and you and I have been sent out as witnesses. Fr. Riccardo discusses the sheer power of God while referencing a second century homily from Bishop Melito of Turkey and addressing the congregation that included some 34 people about to receive the Sacraments of Baptism and/or Confirmation. Fr. John discusses the freedom given to the baptized as their sins are washed away and they are given new power with authority over their lives. He also discusses what it means to be sent out. When we have been rescued by Jesus we are sent to rescue others by telling them about Him. Our joy should be uncontainable, and our response should be to worship God for what He has done for us.  

Fr. Riccardo describes three messages God gives to us as we contemplate the crucifixion of Jesus today. For those who suffer, Jesus proves his love for us in choosing to die for our salvation. For those who feel unworthy, Jesus chose to die for all. His mercy is for every person. For those who see the crucifixion as a symbol of weakness or defeat, Jesus chose this way to defeat Satan and to conquer death.

In this homily from the Holy Thursday Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper Fr. Riccardo discusses two recent articles published by Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom. Fr. John points out that America and the world have no hope without God and his saving power and love. He concludes by telling the congregants that the eclipse of God is over. In the midst of our despair, God promises to be our hope and to wipe away all of our tears.

Fr. Riccardo preached at all of the weekend masses at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church this past weekend. In this homily from the noon Mass, Fr. John poses three questions to the congregants and then discusses preaching on the kerygma. He breaks apart the basic teaching of the gospel into four parts: created, captured, rescued, and response. During Lent, Fr. John asks the congregation to focus on the word captured as described in the first reading for this day (DT 26:4-10). Only by recognizing how God has rescued us from captivity through His Son, Jesus, will we know how we are to respond to the Good News.

Fr. Riccardo offers some spiritual suggestions for Lent in this Ash Wednesday homily from Our Lady of Good Counsel Church. Fr. John encourages the congregants to read the gospel accounts of the Passion narratives and the first 14 chapters of the book of Exodus while focusing on what Jesus has done for us.

Fr. Riccardo preached at all of the masses at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church this past weekend. In this homily from the 10 AM Mass, Fr. John discusses the ongoing sanctuary renovations in the church. Fr. John tells the congregants that the color of the wall behind the crucifix was matched to the color of the mantle that Mary is wearing in the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe that was left imprinted on the coat of Juan Diego in December of 1531. The wall will serve as a reminder that Mary is presenting her Son to us at every Mass. Fr. John remarks that the entire Christian life is a response to what God has already done for us, and asks how we will respond.

In this homily from the 7 PM Vigil Mass for the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God Fr. Riccardo discusses the importance of an evening examination of conscience as a best practice for a spiritual life and leads the congregants in this practice.

Fr. Riccardo preached at all of the weekend masses at Our Lady of Good Counsel this past weekend. In this homily from the 5 PM Mass, Fr. John honors his parents, John and Thelma Riccardo, for their commitment to their faith and marriage and shares their sevens keys to having a thriving marriage and family life.

Fr. Riccardo considers four questions in this Christmas homily from the Midnight Mass at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church. Fr. John asks the congregants: what are we celebrating, why is everything still so messed up, what impact does what we are celebrating have on our lives tonight, and how should we respond?

Fr. Riccardo discusses an important lesson of trust that Mary can teach each of us in the homily for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Fr. John draws analogies between Mary and Eve while detailing the reasons why the church honors Mary for her surrender to God and trust in Him. 

Fr. Riccardo discusses what Jesus is trying to teach us through the Beatitudes in this homily for the Solemnity of All Saints.

Fr. Riccardo preached at all of the masses at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church this past weekend. In this homily from the 10 AM Mass, Fr. John discusses the request made by James and John in the gospel reading (MK 10:35-45), the response of the other apostles, and Jesus's words to them and to us regarding the nature and purpose of authority.

The funeral liturgy for Thelma Riccardo, the mother of Fr. John Riccardo, was celebrated at Holy Name Catholic Church in Birmingham, Michigan on September 18th. This is a podcast of Fr. John's homily from that Mass. It may also be view on the Our Lady of Good Counsel YouTube channel using this link. Fr. John and the entire Riccardo family are most appreciative of all of the prayers offered for his mother and in support of the family.

Fr. Riccardo discusses a hopeful word, a familiar word, and a commissioning word in this homily from the 10 AM Mass at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church. While reflecting on the passing of his mother, Thelma Riccardo, on the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows (September 15th), Fr. John turns to Revelation 21 and the promise that God has made to each of us that there will be a new heaven and a new earth. He tells the congregants that Jesus has defeated Satan, Sin, and Death by His death on the cross. Fr. John concludes by using the words of Winston Churchill to the people of England during the early stages of World War II as words of commissioning for us. Fr. John remarks that God has created us, and gifted us, to live at this time with the mission to tell others about Jesus.

On the evening of September 12th, Fr. Riccardo celebrated a Mass for victims of sexual abuse.

Fr. Riccardo offers an orientation to the sixth chapter of the gospel of John in this homily from the 10 AM Mass at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church. As the Sunday gospel readings for the next five weeks are from John 6, Fr. John looks at the readings from a perspective of history. How do we respond to Jesus, who is the savior of the universe? The fitting response is to worship Him and to tell others about Him. In an age where so many are wandering aimlessly, it is important to share the message that God cares, and that He is faithful.  

Fr. Riccardo preached at all of the weekend masses at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church this past weekend. In this homily from the 5 PM Mass, Fr. John discusses our reluctance to share the gospel with others. He encourages the congregants to complete a survey found on the parish website that was designed to assess the reasons why we find it difficult to share the gospel message in public. The survey will be active until Friday, July 6th.

Each year Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish School celebrates a Streamer Day Mass to recognize the eighth grade students who will soon complete their final studies at the elementary school. Fr. Riccardo's homily from this year's Mass is presented here.

Fr. Riccardo preached at all of the Masses at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church this past weekend. In this homily from the noon Mass, Fr. John discusses God's vision for his world and for us. He looks at the spread of Christianity in the early church despite legal prohibitions and the importance of Christian witness. Fr. John concludes by asking the congregants, "How is God asking you and me to turn our world upside down with the gospel and the revolutionary and radical love of Jesus?"

Deacon Dave Carignan preached at all of the weekend Masses at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church this past weekend. In this homily from the 8 AM Mass, Deacon Dave discusses the importance of pruning whatever is not of Christ within us if we wish to bear fruit as disciples of Jesus.

In this homily from the Easter Vigil Mass at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, Fr. Riccardo tells the congregants that God is acting in a preeminent way at the Vigil Mass. While addressing the congregants about to be baptized during the Vigil Mass, Fr. John remarks that through the waters of Baptism, we are transferred to the kingdom of God's beloved Son. He also tells those being confirmed and those already confirmed that they are sharers in the mission of Jesus Christ and are tasked to bring others to Him. When confronting evil and suffering in the world, Fr. John encourages the proclamation of the gospel to bring God's children back to Him.  

Fr. Riccardo discusses the seven last words of Christ from the cross in this reflection from a Good Friday service at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church.

Fr. Riccardo's homily from the Mass of the Lord's Supper.

In this homily for Palm Sunday, Fr. Riccardo draws parallels between the allied invasion of western Europe on D-Day and the Passion. Fr. John tells the congregants that the events described in the Passion are the reason why Jesus became man. Through his victory on the cross, Jesus has rescued us from sin and death.

Fr. Riccardo preached at all of the Masses this past weekend at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church. In this homily from the 10 AM Mass, Fr. John discusses what it means to live as a highly contagious married couple while citing the example of his own parents.

Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish welcomed Abbot Jeremy Driscoll, O.S.B. on the weekend of February 23-25 as he led the 2018 Parish Mission titled The Mass: Supreme Encounter with God in Jesus. Abbot Driscoll also preached at all of the weekend Masses at OLGC. In this homily from the noon Mass, Fr. Driscoll looks at the gospel account of the transfiguration of Jesus (MK 9:2-10) at what this means for us today. On this second Sunday in Lent, we encounter Jesus as the Son of God and on his way to the cross. Through the Eucharist, God can transform us to be highly contagious disciples of Christ.

Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish welcomed Abbot Jeremy Driscoll, O.S.B. on the weekend of February 23-25 as he led the 2018 Parish Mission titled The Mass: Supreme Encounter with God in Jesus. Fr. Driscoll serves as abbot of the Mount Angel Abbey in Saint Benedict, Oregon. Abbot Jeremy has taught theology at the Mount Angel Seminary and the Pontifical University of Sant’ Anselmo in Rome. His publications include What Happens at Mass, a vivid exploration of our ritual words, signs, and actions, that help the reader come to a better understanding of the Mass as an encounter with Jesus Christ. In this final talk of the parish mission titled Communion and Encounter with Jesus in the Transformed Gifts and Being Sent into the World as a New Creation in Him, Abbot Jeremy looks at the Communion and Concluding rites of the Mass.

Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish welcomed Abbot Jeremy Driscoll, O.S.B. on the weekend of February 23-25 as he led the 2018 Parish Mission titled The Mass: Supreme Encounter with God in Jesus. Fr. Driscoll serves as abbot of the Mount Angel Abbey in Saint Benedict, Oregon. Abbot Jeremy has taught theology at the Mount Angel Seminary and the Pontifical University of Sant’ Anselmo in Rome. His publications include What Happens at Mass, a vivid exploration of our ritual words, signs, and actions, that help the reader come to a better understanding of the Mass as an encounter with Jesus Christ. In this second talk of the parish mission titled Bringing Gifts and the Transformation of the Gifts: Encounter with God as a Marvelous Exchange, Abbot Jeremy looks at the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish welcomed Abbot Jeremy Driscoll, O.S.B. on the weekend of February 23-25 as he led the 2018 Parish Mission titled The Mass: Supreme Encounter with God in Jesus. Fr. Driscoll serves as abbot of the Mount Angel Abbey in Saint Benedict, Oregon. Abbot Jeremy has taught theology at the Mount Angel Seminary and the Pontifical University of Sant’ Anselmo in Rome. His publications include What Happens at Mass, a vivid exploration of our ritual words, signs, and actions, that help the reader come to a better understanding of the Mass as an encounter with Jesus Christ. As the parish mission continued on Saturday morning, Fr. Riccardo preached at the morning Mass telling the congregation that only God can conform our hearts to His heart so that we may even love those who have hurt us.

Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish welcomed Abbot Jeremy Driscoll, O.S.B. on the weekend of February 23-25 as he led the 2018 Parish Mission titled The Mass: Supreme Encounter with God in Jesus. Fr. Driscoll serves as abbot of the Mount Angel Abbey in Saint Benedict, Oregon. Abbot Jeremy has taught theology at the Mount Angel Seminary and the Pontifical University of Sant’ Anselmo in Rome. His publications include What Happens at Mass, a vivid exploration of our ritual words, signs, and actions, that help the reader come to a better understanding of the Mass as an encounter with Jesus Christ. In this opening talk of the parish mission titled Gathering to Hear God Speak: Encountering Jesus in the Word, Abbot Jeremy looks at the Liturgy of the Word.

Fr. Riccardo tells the congregation that the focus of Lent should be on what God has done for us. In this homily for Ash Wednesday, Fr. John encourages the school children and congregants to spend time each day in prayer before a crucifix asking Jesus to help them understand His cross.

Fr. Riccardo discusses leprosy in Jesus' time, with particular emphasis on the emotional pain experienced by lepers. Fr. John looks at what Moses prescribed when a leper is healed, and offers three suggestions for Lent: returning to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, attending the Unbound Conference on March 17th, and recitation of the prayer below. Help me Lord, to experience as much as possible, the love that moved you to become man, to save us from the drudgery which is life apart from you. Thank you for loving me by name so much that you willingly shed your blood so that I could go free.

Fr. Riccardo preached at all of the Masses at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church this past weekend. In this homily from the noon Mass, Fr. John continues to breakdown Archbishop Vigneron's pastoral letter Unleash the Gospel while looking at the lives of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Paul. Fr. John remarks that like Francis and Paul, we need new hearts if we are to go out into the world to share the gospel message. As we enter the lenten season, Fr. John proposes praying, "Help us Lord, to experience as much as possible, the love that moved you to become man to save us from the drudgery that is life apart from you."

In this homily for the vigil Mass for the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God Fr. Riccardo tells the congregation that before we can be disciples, we need to learn how to talk to each other and to listen to each other. Fr. John points out how distracted we can all get by our electronic devices, and suggests moderating our use of these devices so as to become more attentive to each other.  

In this homily for The Feast of The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Fr. Riccardo looks at the promises made by parents when they present their children for baptism in the Catholic Church. Fr. John continues to breakdown Archbishop Vigneron’s pastoral letter Unleash the Gospel while focusing on his remarks concerning the the centrality of parents and family in passing on the Catholic faith to their children. Fr. John concludes by challenging the congregants to adopt one of the Archbishop’s seven action steps for christian family identity and encourages them to try putting God first in their lives.

While reflecting on the stories of a group of people on his mind in a particular way this Christmas, Fr. Riccardo tells the congregants that if we invite Jesus into our lives, He will work to heal, restore, transform, and recreate our lives out of the messy situations that we may find ourselves in during this season.

Fr. Riccardo looks at our response to all that God has done for us while discussing the judgment day. Fr. John describes the marriage between Christ and the church while telling the congregants that good works alone are insufficient when rendering an account for our lives. What will our response be when we are asked by Jesus, "Do you love me?"

This is Fr. Riccardo's homily from the Saturday evening Vigil Mass for the Fatima Conference.

Saturday Talk #5: “Fatima and the Problem of Russia: The Consecration and the Errors Spoken of by Our Lady,” Dr. William Thomas.

Saturday Talk #4: “The Authenticity of the Miracle of the Sun, October 13, 1917: Scientific Proof of the Defiance of All Cosmic Laws,” Gary Michuta.

Saturday Talk #3: “Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary,” Colin Donovan.

Saturday Talk #2: “And a Great Sign Appeared in the Sky…The Lady of Genesis and Revelation: Mary’s Universal and Spiritual Motherhood and Her Powerful Intercession,” Dr. Robert Fastiggi.

Saturday Talk #1: “Heroic Virtues of St. Francisco Marto and St. Jacinta Marto,” Sister Irenaeus, O.P., Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist.

This is Fr. Dave Tomaszycki's homily from the Saturday morning Mass for the Fatima Conference.

This is Fr. Riccardo's homily from the Friday evening Mass for the Fatima Conference.